Greece and partners reject Libya ratification of Turkey-Libya maritime deal

Greece has said a 2019 maritime boundaries memorandum between Turkey and Libya remains null and void after Libya's House of Representatives moved to ratify it. The statement was delivered by Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis on behalf of Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union. The joint position said the move raises serious concerns for regional security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean.

The signatories said the memorandum has no legal effect and cannot serve as a lawful basis for delimiting maritime zones. They argued that it runs counter to international law and cannot create legal consequences for third states. The statement also said the agreement ignores the geographical reality and the rights of all coastal states involved, including the rights of islands under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Gerapetritis said international law, including UNCLOS and customary international law, provides the framework for maritime delimitation and is essential for predictability, legal certainty and peaceful relations among states. He warned that accepting bilateral agreements that disregard those rules would set a dangerous precedent and weaken the international legal order. The statement added that Libya's House of Representatives decision does not alter what it described as the legal reality.

The dispute matters because maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean have long been tied to energy, security and regional diplomacy. The 2019 Turkey-Libya memorandum has been contested by Greece and several of its partners because of its implications for overlapping claims at sea. The latest reaction shows that the issue remains a live point of tension between states that are trying to balance bilateral deals with wider regional rules.

The joint statement also linked the issue to Libya's internal political future, saying the signatories support reunifying Libya's institutions and a united and prosperous Libya. They said a stable Libya that engages in regional cooperation is important for peace and security in the Mediterranean. That framing suggests the maritime row is being treated not only as a legal dispute, but also as part of the wider effort to stabilise Libya's political landscape.

What remains unclear is how Libya's House of Representatives will respond to the criticism, and whether the ratification move will lead to further diplomatic exchanges. The statement did not indicate any immediate practical change on the ground or at sea. The next developments to watch are whether other regional actors issue formal responses and whether the dispute affects broader cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean.

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